The Characteristics of Withdrawal or Withholding of Life-Sustaining Treatment in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Single Japanese Institutional Study

There is little evidence on the factors influencing the decision to withdraw or continue life-sustaining treatment in the setting of severe traumatic brain injury in Japanese institutions. We investigated the factors associated with the withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining treatment (WLST) for severe traumatic brain injury at a single Japanese institution. A total of 161 patients with severe traumatic brain injury were retrospectively reviewed. Patient characteristics and injury types were compared between patients with and without the WLST. Of the 161 patients, 87 (54%) died and 52 (32%) decided to undergo WLST. In 98% of the WLST cases, the decision was made within 24 h of admission. The mean duration between WLST and death was 2 days. The predicted probabilities for mortality and unfavorable outcomes were highest in patients with WLST within 24 h. Patients with WLST were older and had a higher frequency of falls on the ground, ischemic heart disease, and acute subdural hemorrhage than those without WLST. The decisions of almost all WLST cases were made within 24 h of admission for severe traumatic brain injury in a Japanese institution because of Japanese patients' religious and cultural backgrounds.